Financial Aid

Purpose and Goals

At St. Mary’s, the tuition and fees charged to parents cover only a portion of the real cost of educating a student for a year. The school’s endowment and donations from outside sources meet the difference. The primary responsibility for paying a student’s tuition and fees at St. Mary’s School rest with the family. The tuition grant program exists to supplement family resources when necessary.

The goals of the St. Mary’s Tuition Grant Policy are 1) to provide access to a St. Mary’s education to qualified students who could not otherwise attend, and whose attendance will enrich the school and community and 2) to increase the socioeconomic diversity of the student body.

Parents of applicants must indicate they are interested in applying for a tuition grant by checking the appropriate box on the application form. They should then apply using FAST (Financial Aid for School Tuition) by March 15. Returning applicants should apply online as well by the due date. Returning students not currently receiving aid who wish to apply should fill out the FAST and follow the application instructions.

All applications are completed on-line through FAST (Financial Aid for School Tuition). You may download the instructions once you've set up your account in FAST.

St. Mary's requires that families apply every year for tuition grants as both the financial resouces of the family and school change every year.

Timeline

March 22 - Parents are expected to have completed and filed the application through the Financial Aid for School Tution (FAST) application.All applicants are required to submit a photocopy of their 1040 with all schedules and W-2 statements for the year just completed. If the tax return is not yet available, we require a copy of the IRS 4868 (extension). This must be submitted directly to FAST. Addressed envelopes are available in the front office. There is a $34.00 processing fee. St. Mary’s reserves the right to hold aid awards until all required forms are received, and may alter financial aid awards if the figures presented on FAST are significantly different from the IRS 1040.

Additional documentation may be required in some cases. Examples include a photocopy of the student tax return if filed, a Business or Farm Financial Statement, or a financial statement for the non-custodial parent.

May 15: Awards will start to be mailed. Tuition grant awards are valid for two weeks, after which they are subject to revocation. Parents are encouraged to call the Business Manager to discuss problems or concerns.

*Please note that you must have fully enrolled your student(s) (signed the enrollment contract and paid the family registration fee) before the school will send out an award letter. If the school cannot meet your families financial need, and you decide not to send your student(s) because of this, then we will refund your family registration fee).

Questions

If you have questions about the process please call Michelle Tresemer at 773-7877 ext. 1204. If you have specific questions about the FAST application please call 1-877-326-FAST or e-mail ISM (Independent School Management) at help@ismfast.com. Call center hours are 24/7/365.

St. Mary's has an extensive financial aid program. In the 2015-2016 school year, we awarded over $1,000,000 in need-based financial assistance to approximately 40% of our students. The average award grant was nearly $4,500. Financial aid grants are not loans and do not need to be repaid. Recipients must re-apply for financial aid annually.

We encourage families to apply for admission to St. Mary's regardless of their financial circumstances. While families bear the primary responsibility for financing their child's education, need-based financial aid grants can help cover the difference between the family's resources and tuition.

How to Apply

St. Mary's uses an online service called FAST (Financial Aid for School Tuition) to help determine financial aid awards.

Financial aid applications for all students (new and returning) are due on March 22. To apply, please click the button below. In addition, parents of applicants must indicate they are interested in applying for financial aid by checking the appropriate box on the application form. Recipients must re-apply annually for financial aid.

Apply Now!

Timeline

March 22 is the deadline for parents to complete their online application with FAST. Applications must include copies of IRS Form 1040, with all schedules and W-2 statements, for the preceding tax year. If tax returns are not yet available, then applications must include copies of IRS Form 4868 (extension). All forms are submitted online with your FAST application. There is a non-refundable $38 processing fee.

Incomplete applications or discrepancies between the application and the submitted tax forms may result in the delay of a financial aid grant. Additional documentation may be requested in some cases. Examples include a copy of a student's tax return (if filed), a Business or Farm Financial Statement, or a financial statement for the non-custodial parent.

Students must be fully enrolled to be considered for financial aid. "Fully enrolled" means that the school has received a signed enrollment contract for each student requesting financial aid as well as the family registration fee. Until these steps are taken, the school will not send out an award letter. If the school cannot meet a family's financial need, and a family elects not to have their student attend, then the school will fully refund the family registration fee.

Applicants are notified of financial aid awards by US Mail in late April. Financial aid grant awards are valid for two weeks, after which they are subject to revocation. Applications for financial aid are accepted on a rolling basis after the March 22 deadline, but the bulk of financial aid is distributed by late April.

Questions?

If you have questions about the process, please call Rebecca Naumes Vega at 541-773-7877. If you have specific questions about the FAST application, please call the FAST help desk at 1-877-326-FAST or e-mail help@ismfast.com.